DRC: 81% of websites fail to meet basic WAI guidelines

"81% [of 1000 websites studied] fail to satisfy the most basic Web Accessibility Initiative category"

So says the Disability Rights Commission's (DRC) in their Formal Investigation report into web accessibility

The report contains 15 recommendation for making websites more accessible, plus a review of the user testing methodology they used.

It's certainly worth reading, especially since in a BBCi article Mr Masses of the DRC warned

"owners to improve accessibility or be prepared to face legal action. [as] The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act requires information providers to make their services accessible."

UPDATE 16 April 2003 - w3c's Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) have issued some comment on the DRC report. Specifically finding 5 which said;

Nearly half (45%) of the problems experienced by disabled users when attempting to navigate websites cannot be attributed to explicit violations of the Web Accessibility Initiative Checkpoints. Although some of these reflect shortcomings in the assistive technology used, most reflect the limitations of the Checkpoints themselves as a comprehensive interpretation of the intent of the Guidelines....

w3c say;

To the contrary, W3C/WAI's examination of the DRC data available as of 14 April 2004 shows that 95% of the barriers reported are indeed covered by existing checkpoints in WAI Guidelines...

I've got a feeling we're going to hear more about this in the coming days and weeks.